Talking Points....
7/28/2026
This week's discussion will focus on Pastor Doug's advancing series "Let's Grow Up."
I. Part 1.
A. If your faith walk is in the same place next year, something is wrong.
1. The entire essence of our faith walk should involve us continuing to grow in Christ daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
2. Are you content with where you are in Christ, or are you trying to grow your relationship with Him daily?
B. As we continue to grow in Him, we are not troubled by the waves and wind that come into our lives.
1. Ephesians 4:11-15 - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
2. How has maturing in Christ helped you during difficult times?
C. We need to get to know Jesus more than we do right now.
1. Ephesians 1:17 - asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
2. Share a time when you asked God for spiritual wisdom and insight, and how that helped you.
D. We need to know Him intimately in a way where we can be safe and vulnerable.
1. Philippians 3:10 - I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
2. When we find ourselves around other Christians who don't feel safe being intimate with God, how can we help them?
E. Christianity is not a scorecard.
1. It is about a relationship with Him.
2. Too many believe it is about rules and religion, instead about having an intimate relationship with Jesus.
3. Matthew 7:21-23 - “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
4. How has having the proper revelation about having a relationship with Jesus, instead of it just being about religion, helped your relationship with Jesus?
F. Become more like Jesus than you are right now.
1. Decide not to settle or be content in your faith.
2. What things can we do daily to keep ourselves from settling in our faith?
G. God will work things out in us.
1. We may not be where we want to be, but thank God that I am not where I used to be.
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP - And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
3. How does reminding yourself of the progress you have made in your relationship with Him, helped you when challenging times arise?
H. There is a better version of you available.
1. Start doing more of what Jesus did in order to make a change in the world around you.
2. Acts 10:38&39 - And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,
3. Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
4. What was the last thing you did like Jesus would do, that made a change in the world around you?
II. Part 2.
A. We all have room to grow.
1. We can get to a point where we think we have been at church long enough, where we think we have heard it all.
2. Have you ever found yourself in this place? What changes did you make to get yourself in the right place to mature in Him?
B. Don't be a Christian with Peter Pan Syndrome.
1. Don't be an adult who avoids grownup responsibilities, commitments, who is chronically unreliable, and one who constantly shifts blame to others for their failures and lack of impulse control.
2. When we are around another believer with challenges like this, what can we do in love to help them?
C. We need to be planted where we can build His Kingdom, and not our needs and wants.
1. Far too many churches today make Peter Pan Christians.
2. Many pastors today, in an effort to grow their churches, opt for a softer style Gospel that downplays commitment and accountability, by promoting a seeker friendly version of Christianity where people get to choose their church by how big the coffee shop is, how many programs it offers, or if it fits their weekly calendar.
3. Have you ever been to a church like this? How did it make you feel?
D. Too many Christians always take in and never give out.
1. Eventually, this attitude will pollute your life.
2. Your life will start to stink.
3. We need to only take in for a season, so that we are able to give out.
4. How has giving of yourself during a challenging time, ended up blessing and helping you?
E. We all have bad days or seasons.
1. Ephesians 3:17-19 - Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
2. Christ's love helps us get past bad times as we grow in Him and His love.
3. When you are having a difficult season, what things do you do to change that?
F. You can not grow bigger than your revelation of how much He loves you.
1. How much do you think God loves you?
G. John's growing revelation of God's love, fueled his growth as a believer.
1. We all benefit from his revelation because he shared with others.
2. What revelation has God given you that could help others?
H. John had a revelation of how much God loved him.
1. John 21:7 - Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.
2. John's revelation also shows how much God loves us.
3. Do you feel like the one that God loves? If not, why not?
I. There is a better version of you.
1. Learn to give and forgive.
2. Let's go and let's grow.
3. Don't be so offended.
4. Grow up.
5. Stop carrying a grudge.
6. Stop being selfish.
7. What is keeping you from growing in Him?
J. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out to you the most with this message "I am What God Says I am"
This week's discussion will focus on Pastor Doug's advancing series "Let's Grow Up."
I. Part 1.
A. If your faith walk is in the same place next year, something is wrong.
1. The entire essence of our faith walk should involve us continuing to grow in Christ daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
2. Are you content with where you are in Christ, or are you trying to grow your relationship with Him daily?
B. As we continue to grow in Him, we are not troubled by the waves and wind that come into our lives.
1. Ephesians 4:11-15 - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
2. How has maturing in Christ helped you during difficult times?
C. We need to get to know Jesus more than we do right now.
1. Ephesians 1:17 - asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
2. Share a time when you asked God for spiritual wisdom and insight, and how that helped you.
D. We need to know Him intimately in a way where we can be safe and vulnerable.
1. Philippians 3:10 - I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
2. When we find ourselves around other Christians who don't feel safe being intimate with God, how can we help them?
E. Christianity is not a scorecard.
1. It is about a relationship with Him.
2. Too many believe it is about rules and religion, instead about having an intimate relationship with Jesus.
3. Matthew 7:21-23 - “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
4. How has having the proper revelation about having a relationship with Jesus, instead of it just being about religion, helped your relationship with Jesus?
F. Become more like Jesus than you are right now.
1. Decide not to settle or be content in your faith.
2. What things can we do daily to keep ourselves from settling in our faith?
G. God will work things out in us.
1. We may not be where we want to be, but thank God that I am not where I used to be.
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP - And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
3. How does reminding yourself of the progress you have made in your relationship with Him, helped you when challenging times arise?
H. There is a better version of you available.
1. Start doing more of what Jesus did in order to make a change in the world around you.
2. Acts 10:38&39 - And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,
3. Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
4. What was the last thing you did like Jesus would do, that made a change in the world around you?
II. Part 2.
A. We all have room to grow.
1. We can get to a point where we think we have been at church long enough, where we think we have heard it all.
2. Have you ever found yourself in this place? What changes did you make to get yourself in the right place to mature in Him?
B. Don't be a Christian with Peter Pan Syndrome.
1. Don't be an adult who avoids grownup responsibilities, commitments, who is chronically unreliable, and one who constantly shifts blame to others for their failures and lack of impulse control.
2. When we are around another believer with challenges like this, what can we do in love to help them?
C. We need to be planted where we can build His Kingdom, and not our needs and wants.
1. Far too many churches today make Peter Pan Christians.
2. Many pastors today, in an effort to grow their churches, opt for a softer style Gospel that downplays commitment and accountability, by promoting a seeker friendly version of Christianity where people get to choose their church by how big the coffee shop is, how many programs it offers, or if it fits their weekly calendar.
3. Have you ever been to a church like this? How did it make you feel?
D. Too many Christians always take in and never give out.
1. Eventually, this attitude will pollute your life.
2. Your life will start to stink.
3. We need to only take in for a season, so that we are able to give out.
4. How has giving of yourself during a challenging time, ended up blessing and helping you?
E. We all have bad days or seasons.
1. Ephesians 3:17-19 - Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
2. Christ's love helps us get past bad times as we grow in Him and His love.
3. When you are having a difficult season, what things do you do to change that?
F. You can not grow bigger than your revelation of how much He loves you.
1. How much do you think God loves you?
G. John's growing revelation of God's love, fueled his growth as a believer.
1. We all benefit from his revelation because he shared with others.
2. What revelation has God given you that could help others?
H. John had a revelation of how much God loved him.
1. John 21:7 - Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.
2. John's revelation also shows how much God loves us.
3. Do you feel like the one that God loves? If not, why not?
I. There is a better version of you.
1. Learn to give and forgive.
2. Let's go and let's grow.
3. Don't be so offended.
4. Grow up.
5. Stop carrying a grudge.
6. Stop being selfish.
7. What is keeping you from growing in Him?
J. Reflection time.
1. What has stood out to you the most with this message "I am What God Says I am"